Since graduating high school, my education path has been anything but straight. I started out as a geology major in college, but I quickly realized they didn't have the geology degree I wanted (I wanted to pursue environmental and they only offered physical, bummer). I tossed around the idea of becoming an education major, but teaching has never appealed to me. I finally settled on a major in religious studies with a minor in psychology, because religion has been something that fascinates me and I never tire of learning about it. I wish I could go back to my 18-year-old self and tell myself how terrible of an idea this was. I graduated Cum Laude in three years, but I had zero job prospects and not even an idea of what I wanted to do with my degree. The day before graduation, I realized God was calling me into ministry (I assumed pulpit ministry,) and the only logical thing I could think of was to get my Master of Divinity. I limited myself to two seminaries (both affiliated with my home denomination thus equaling full-tuition scholarships at either seminary). I made the decision to go to the school in Indianapolis, without having visited the other school in Lexington. I wouldn't say this was a mistake, but I really rushed into grad school. After one week in Indianapolis, I knew that wasn't the school for me. I opted to finish out the year, though, and immediately began looking for a better fit. I transferred at the end of the year to Ashland and it has been the best decision I have made. I discovered they had a dual degree program that was for an MDiv and MA in Clinical Counseling and I jumped at the chance to combine my passion of Christianity and counseling! I no longer feel like my calling is in pulpit ministry, but I want the background in Christianity to help me with counseling.
Here I am, two years into a four-year degree program with a baby on the way. I had to "drop out" of the counseling cohort I was in because I would have had to start my counseling internship this fall and it just didn't seem possible with a baby on the way and then with a newborn later in the year. My plan is to maintain full-time status and I'm on track to graduate in June 2012, but I know that we'll be looking to have at least one more child before that date arrives.
When I look at the path I have taken, I'm not quite sure how I did it. It looks as though I never stay put for longer than a year! I'm not sure if I'm terrible at hearing God's calling or if the path I took was always the way things were intended to be. I have decided not to plan out any further than this quarter, and I will make the decision as to what to do next year when that time comes.
Prayers for a job would be greatly appreciated :) Any job. Just something to help me bring in some money!
1 comment:
I will totally pray that God leads the right job to you! Even though my story is different in terms of what God has called me to do- it is very similar as far as feeling like I have been all over the place. I used to get annoyed at myself for "misinterpeting" what God called me to... Now sitting back, and being a momma to be as well, I realize every single path God has taken me down (no matter how scattered it seemed) had its purpose. If I hadn't gone to Fashion school for 2 semesters, I wouldn't have met my husband while studying at Starbucks... and on goes the story....
I think what is so beautiful about life is how complex our stories are... All that matter is that we are following HIM.
It was so encouraging to read your post!
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